and then when dawn hochsprung and mary sherlach, vicki soto, lauren rousseau, rachel davino, anne marie murphy showed up for work at sandy hook on december 14th of last year, they expected a day like any other, doing what was right for their kids, spent a chilly morning welcoming young students, they had no idea that evil was about to strike. and when it did, they could have taken shelter by themselves. they could have focus canned on their own safety, on their own well-being, but they didn't. they gave their lives to protect the precious children in their care. they gave all they had for the most innocent and helpless among us. and that's what we honor today. the courageous heart, the selfless spirit, the inspiring actions of extraordinary americans, extraordinary citizens. we are a nation of 315 million people. out of all of these folks, around 6,000 were nominated for this medal and today, you're the ones receiving it. not just for what you do but for what you represent for the shining example that you set every single day and the inspiration that you give each of us as fellow citize